The Sun & the Moon @ the Big Apple & Boston- Part II - The Big Apple- Day 2

On the second day in NY, we passed by several important landmarks, like Central Park. We visited the 9/11 Memorial before arriving at the Hudson River cruise. It was very cold, and chill winds blew hard. We wondered whether we’d see snow fall there, but we were not so lucky (or, may be, we actually were!).

Wow, Whatte Sunset!

It was on 11th March, 2013.

Enchanting Sunsets, 12th & 13th March, 2013

No description.... just enjoy d pix................

Samudra @ Dusk

My family decides  to visit the Gandhi statue beach at short notice.  I would have loved to be there with a bit of brightness around but I couldn't have chosen the time.  Now my limitations in handling the manual settings are in full view.  If only I had a stable hand.......

Jharokha Darshan- Final- Moonset and Enlightenment - Chennai to Arakkonam

One early morning I moved out of town. As I looked out of the window, I saw the Moon still up on a dark canvas. Then, after a while, I felt some brightness, after which I saw 'light'.

Jharokha Darshan-II- Bangalore to Chennai-Net and Reflection photography

Now that I had already experimented with window- net photography, I intended to continue with it on my return journey as well. An elderly couple, who had got two aisle seats, asked if I were willing to exchange my window seat for the aisle seat on the other side, in vain. I had my task cut out. Yet, my selfishness bothered me- did I really have to cling on to the window seat? Thankfully, they got it exchanged with the occupant of the window seat on the other side. I knew I had to pay for my selfishness, though I did not know when. After a few window- net clicks, there was a change in the direction of the train, and I lost my westside window seat advantage. The Sun cast his brightness on the other side, the side where the couple sat. Here, I was paying for my brashness. But God was kind enough- He brought out the idea of reflection on window and I went clicking, for over an hour! 

Jharokha Darshan from the Train-I- Chennai to Bangalore

Recently, I found myself travelling by train very frequently. These pictures are a 'Jharokha' darshan of the Sun. For the uninitiated, it means a window- side view. Akbar was the first emperor to have given a Jharokha darshan to his subjects! It took about an hour and a half to click all of them......

The Sun in Chennai, 20th February, 2013

I lost myself when I saw the setting Sun as I was returning from work. I'm sure you'll all agree!

This is just the beginning.... please keep viewing! If only the crow were crossing the Sun's face...

The Setting Sun on His Birthday

          It was a cloudy morning on Rathasaptami, the Sun- God's birthday. I wished Him to my heart's content by the evening!

The Sun and Lalbagh, Bangalore

I went to  Bangalore or Bengaluru towards the end of 2011. I'm fond of the place for one more reason- it's famed Lalbagh, which is very close to the Mavali Tiffin Rooms or MTR, where people patiently wait for quite a while before they have their food. We had been to Lalbagh twice within three days, but the Sun's staring at us through the trees happened on the first occasion. I revisited Lalbagh last month- I was on my own and to my own craziness, so I managed to click a few pictures of the Sun and His light! I went all the way to the Lotus Pond in the hope of finding the flowers that bloom in Sunlight, but never mind, I found His reflection!

The Sun's staring at us, Lalbagh, Bangalore

The Sun shines on the Nilgiris

               Happy Rathasaptami/ Surya saptami, the birthday of the Sun God!

            We went to Ooty in January last year. We enjoyed the train ride on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway(NMR). It was a four day trip and everyday I ended up with some pics on the Sun and His light! One pic is a repeat. Hope you don't mind!

This one is from the toy train en route to Ooty

Nava Pashanam at Devipattanam and Sethukarai

We proceeded to Sethukarai, literally translated as 'Shore of the bridge', where Lord Hanuman is said to have meditated for a way of reaching Lanka and got the thought of the bridge across the ocean. Our contact told us country boats would take us to the place where the bridge existed (someone told me that the best time to go was when the sun shone brightly, so as to see the coral reef or the Rama Setu). Alas, it was almost dark, though the wind was friendly, and that was it. Hope you'll like the pictures!

Waist deep water at Devipattanam (some of the pashanams are actually under water)

Pamban Bridge

On our way to Madurai from Rameswaram, we stopped to have a look at the Pamban bridge, a lower- than Road over bridge level steel girder railway bridge which opens in the middle to let steamers and trawlers pass. We were very lucky to see the bridge open. I was excited, I'm sure you'd be, too!

I told you of the Pamban bridge, right?

The Flat Sea of Dhanushkodi

We went on a pilgrimage to Rameswaram in December, 2010. I had no idea of a great experience with Samudra when I left for the place. Wow, it was a case of 'Water, water everywhere'!

At Dhanushkodi, December, 2010

The Same Ol' Sun, A Fast- moving Train and Myriad Breathtaking Snapshots!

One April evening in 2012, I was on my way to Chennai from Delhi by the Rajdhani express. There were just about a couple of hours to go; most people in my coach had detrained at Vijayawada. There was silence but for the chugging sounds. I was doing my usual multi- tasking on train- listening to melodies while reading a book. I casually looked out of the window and noticed the sunset between Nellore and Gudur. Needless to say, I unplugged the ear phones and closed my book till it became pitch dark!

This the first view I got, through the glass, on board the Rajdhani

Kovalam Beach, Thiruvananthapuram

After a tour of Chowara, we proceeded to the Kovalam beach- it is compact, and the sea is flat, enabling people in venturing moderately deep inside. It is compacted by boulder formations on either side. With the kind of team I was there, venturing deep into the sea was out of question. I made some fuss about taking a round in the speed boat- after all, I'd be well within sight. The result was an expected veto but I vicariously enjoyed when others took it!!

'Come here, so that I may enlighten you', the Sun seems to say @ Kovalam

Sunset in Nripatungabetta, Hubli and Tungabhadra Dam(link)

I was  gggglad to have made it to the Tungabhadra Dam and Nripatungabetta just in time! ‘All’s well that ends well’, goes the saying. ‘All’s well when you watch a breathtaking Sunset’, I say.

Twilight, Sunrise and Brightness(link)

When I wanted to put up some photos, this is the topic that I thought of…..I didn’t realise then!

Ullala Beach and Netravati : Sagara Teeram, Nadi Samuttaranam, Suryastamayadarsanam (link)

This was when I went to Mangalore! Ah, I didn’t realise that these also reflect my passion for the Sun and the Sea!